The Kingdom of Sweets

OMG. This book made me so mad. Maybe I'm too familiar with the story of The Nutcracker. The book attempted to create a gothic horror story from The Nutcraker but instead just patched the first act family and their appearance of wealth and privilege over a “trip to the Kingdom of Sweets” where Clara and her twin sister meet the evil Sugarplum Fairy.

Nothing is done to explain the many other inhabitants of the Kingdom of Sweets (depending on your familiarity with the ballet, it could be the Snow Queen and her attendants, Mother Ginger and her children, etc). Fritz becomes a madman and not a prince.

Overall, the idea of turning Nutcraker into a full-fledged fantasy story is intriguing but the author just didn't weave the story together in any meaningful way. All the characters were unlikeable and even their “evil” motivation was questionable.

I was ready and willing to accept divergence from the original ballet but there were too many gaps and questions left unexplored. I mean, c'mon, Drosselmeyer as a thug and a puppet was just lame.

Skip this book if you're a fan of the Nutcracker story. It's not worth it.